Streets Is Watching – English Lyrics

• By: JAY-Z

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the vivid storytelling of JAY-Z's "Streets Is Watching" to unlock the rich tapestry of English street slang and the raw, authentic narrative of ambition and survival. This song offers a powerful insight into the complexities of urban life and the pressures of newfound success, making it an excellent resource for understanding colloquial expressions and emotionally charged language.

[English]

- So what happened with Honey last night.

Her friend was crazy.

- When I kicked out the car, she was bugging.

- Wus up baby, wus good, wus good

- Wus good, wus good

- I got everything good.

- I got Tims and I got hush puppies.

- (both) hush puppies

- Nah, I take that whole section right there.

Size 10.

- Let's go guys. Lets do this

♪ If I with you I'm brainless ♪

♪ But if you me then you're famous what's a to do ♪

♪ when the streets is watching blocks keep clockin' ♪

♪ Waitin' for you to break your first mistake ♪

♪ Can't ignore it, that's the fastest way to get extorted ♪

♪ But my time if money and twenty five, I can't afford it ♪

♪ Beef assorted like Godiva chocolates ♪

♪ You bought it, I pull the slide back and ♪

♪ Plan aborted, you and your mans get a pass ♪

♪ This rhyme you're operating on time ♪

♪ Y'all ain't worth my, all y'all ♪

♪ Tryna do is hurt my sales and stop trips to John McNeil ♪

♪ The type to start a beef then run to the cops ♪

♪ When I see you in the street got one in the drop ♪

♪ When I'd rather be on tour gettin' a hundred a pop ♪

♪ Takin' pictures with some in front of the drop ♪

♪ The streets is watching ♪

♪ When the streets is watching, blocks keep clockin' ♪

♪ Waitin' for you to break, make your first mistake ♪

♪ Can't ignore it ♪

♪ Now it's hard not to ♪

♪ it's like a full time job not to, can't chill ♪

♪ The streets is watching you, when you froze your arms ♪

♪ Wanna test you when your goes warm ♪

♪ Can't get caught with your feet up gotta keep your ♪

♪ Sweet cats runnin' round swearin' sweeter ♪

♪ Once you're tagged lame, the game is follow the leader ♪

♪ Everybody want a piece of your scrilla ♪

♪ so you gotta keep it realer ♪

♪ Wanna you ♪

♪ Broke want no cash, they just wanna you ♪

♪ For the name don't know the rules ♪

♪ Disrespectin' the game what you to blow your cool ♪

♪ Force your hand of course that man's plottin' ♪

♪ Smarten up the streets is watching it's on ♪

♪ When the streets is watchin' blocks keep clockin' ♪

♪ Waitin' for you to break, make your first mistake ♪

♪ Can't ignore it ♪

(beat changes)

♪ Uh-Huh ye-ye, ye-ye-yeah ♪

♪ Ye-Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ How real is this ♪

♪ How real is this ♪

♪ Uh-Huh, uh ♪

♪ Respect this here, check ♪

♪ I'm from where the hammers rung, news cameras never come ♪

♪ You and your mans hung in every verse in your your rhyme ♪

♪ Where the grams are slung vanish every summer ♪

♪ Where the blue vans would come ♪

♪ We throw the work in the can and run ♪

♪ Where the plans was to get funds and skate off the set ♪

♪ To achieve this goal, sold all my wet ♪

♪ Faced with immeasurable odds, still I gave straight bets ♪

♪ So I felt I'm owed something and you nothing, check ♪

♪ I'm from the other side ♪

♪ where other guys don't walk too much ♪

♪ And girls in the projects wouldn't us ♪

♪ Said we talk to much ♪

♪ So they ran up to Tompkins and sought them dudes to trust ♪

♪ I don't know what the they thought ♪

♪ Them foul just like us ♪

♪ I'm from where the beef is inevitable ♪

♪ Summertime's unforgettable ♪

♪ Boosters in abundance, buy a half-price sweater new ♪

♪ Your word was everything, so everything you said you'd do ♪

♪ You did it, couldn't talk about it if you ain't live it ♪

♪ I'm from where pull your card and argue all day about ♪

♪ Who's the best emcees, Biggie, Jay-Z, or Nas ♪

♪ Where the czars evolve and thugs are at odds ♪

♪ At each other's throats for the love of foreign cars ♪

♪ Where cats catch cases, hopin' the judge R-and Rs ♪

♪ But most times find themselves locked up behind bars ♪

♪ That all ♪

♪ I'm from where they ball and breed rhyme stars ♪

♪ I'm from Marcy son, just thought I'd remind y'all ♪

♪ Cough up a lung where I'm from, Marcy son ♪

♪ Ain't nothing nice ♪

♪ Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own ♪

♪ Cough up a lung where I'm from Marcy son ♪

♪ Ain't nothing nice ♪

♪ Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own ♪

♪ Cough up a lung where I'm from Marcy son ♪

♪ Ain't nothing nice ♪

♪ Mentally been many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own ♪

♪ Cough up a lung Where I'm from Marcy son ♪

♪ Ain't nothing nice ♪

♪ Brooklyn ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
watching /ˈwɒtʃɪŋ/ B1	verb - looking at something for a period of time
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - public roads in a city or town
blocks /blɒks/ B1	noun - urban areas bounded by streets
clockin' /ˈklɒkɪŋ/ B2	verb - watching or observing carefully
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to fail to obey a law or rule
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ A2	noun - an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong
ignore /ɪɡˈnɔːr/ B1	verb - to refuse to take notice of or acknowledge
extorted /ɪkˈstɔːrtɪd/ C1	verb - to obtain something by force or threats
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
afford /əˈfɔːrd/ A2	verb - to have enough money to buy or do something
beef /biːf/ B2	noun - a conflict or feud
assorted /əˈsɔːrtɪd/ C1	adjective - consisting of various types mixed together
slide /slaɪd/ B1	noun - a part of a gun
aborted /əˈbɔːrtɪd/ C1	verb - to terminate before completion
operating /ˈɒpəreɪtɪŋ/ B2	verb - to control the functioning of a machine or process
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - to cause physical pain or injury to
sales /seɪlz/ A2	noun - the exchange of goods or services for money
tour /tʊər/ A2	noun - a journey for pleasure in which several places are visited